FG, Foundation Unite Against Community Violence

Magdalene Ukuedojor
Aug, Thu, 2025

Defence/Security

FG, foundation unite against community violence

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By Sumaila Ogbaje

The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and Grey Child Foundation have inaugurated a nationwide programme aimed at tackling the root causes of violence and fostering peace across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The National Coordinator of NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, said at the inauguration in Abuja, that the initiative would strengthen communities, promote resilience, and prevent the conditions that breed violence.

According to him, peace and security are not the sole responsibilities of government or security agencies; they are shared outcomes of sustained partnerships with communities, civil society, and development actors.

Laka noted that while Nigeria continued to grapple with terrorism, insurgency, banditry and violent extremism, a collective approach was critical in addressing such threats.

He said the programme, following a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 18, would promote positive narratives, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and provide evidence-based data to guide decisions by stakeholders.

According to him, kinetic measures provide only temporary relief; the lasting path to peace lies in non-kinetic strategies that address the drivers of violence and create opportunities for peaceful coexistence.

The National Coordinator urged government institutions, the private sector, and development partners to sustain support for community-led peacebuilding.

He said that it was only through collective action that we could build the Nigeria we all desired.

In her remarks, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the initiative as a “game-changer” in ensuring inclusive and gender-responsive approaches to peace and security.

According to her, the family remains the first line of defence, adding that it aligned with the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

“By equipping them with the right values and resources, we can break the cycle of violence from the ground up,” she said,

The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru, warned that violence was becoming a dangerous norm in Nigerian communities.

Badaru, who was represented by the Director of Peace Support Operations, Ministry of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Umar Bichi, urged the adoption of non-kinetic approaches to resolving conflicts.

He commended stakeholders, including Rotary and SEAL, for their role in advancing grassroots peacebuilding, stressing that the ministry looked forward to seeing the programme implemented in communities across the country.

“In military strategy, the best way to win a war is to avoid it altogether. When conflict happens, non-violent solutions remain the best,” he stated.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr Abdulateef Shittu, pledged the support of state governments through logistics aid, community-based policing, and a Security Community of Practice to strengthen non-kinetic responses.

He said that state governments recognised the urgency of a whole-of-society, community-driven approach to tackling violent crimes, militancy, terrorism, ethno-religious intolerance, and related threats to national stability.

“The alarming rates of local crimes with national security implications are undermining our stability, development, and social cohesion.

“This programme could not have come at a better time,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Gray Child Foundation, Dr Pietro Macleo, described the CVR programme as a “home-grown, community-rooted solution” that combines innovation, evidence-based interventions and active involvement of traditional, faith-based, private sector and civil society actors.

He said the solution must be grown from the ground up; rooted in shared values and sustained by trust, participation, and good governance.

According to him, the CVR programme will revalidate and establish grassroots peace and security baselines, dismantle push and pull factors of violence, and reinforce national security frameworks.

The programme launch, supported by Rotary International and other partners, marks a major step in Nigeria’s shift towards sustainable, locally driven peacebuilding efforts. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

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